Checkmate!
Free Verse21 total reviews
Comment from Cindy Decker 2
Author,
Your awesome poetry reads like the erstwhile poets of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Your impeccable style and bold, honest message will shine in the contest.
Good luck,
Blessings,
Cindy
reply by the author on 06-Jul-2023
  |
Author,
Your awesome poetry reads like the erstwhile poets of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Your impeccable style and bold, honest message will shine in the contest.
Good luck,
Blessings,
Cindy
Comment Written 06-Jul-2023
reply by the author on 06-Jul-2023
-
Cind
However, I still like it, as does my wife and a few other insightful reviewers, so that is all that matters!
Stevey, many thanks for this lovely review and the shiny sixth star. Sadly this contest is well and truly over and the committee neglected to appreciate it as much as you!
Comment from Allezw2
HA! The light at the end of th;e t unnel that lightens the dread of the dark passage.
The earth turns, so the sun also rises!
One might wonder how the elected legislatures vary so widely from their constituents' best interests.
Well, power is corrupting. Often it drives a seeker, with his limited influence, to seek a grander expression of his ambitions.
Only the well-informed electorate can countervail.
Nicely done, Noble Khan of the Quaking Isles
Live long and write well,
Fantasist
reply by the author on 29-May-2023
|
HA! The light at the end of th;e t unnel that lightens the dread of the dark passage.
The earth turns, so the sun also rises!
One might wonder how the elected legislatures vary so widely from their constituents' best interests.
Well, power is corrupting. Often it drives a seeker, with his limited influence, to seek a grander expression of his ambitions.
Only the well-informed electorate can countervail.
Nicely done, Noble Khan of the Quaking Isles
Live long and write well,
Fantasist
Comment Written 28-May-2023
reply by the author on 29-May-2023
-
Thank you. Yeah, didn't want our noble readers to go and off themselves after reading the litany of woes facing the world. I guess I'm in need of a reality check too!
Khan of the Quaking Isles? If I need a new FS name I may borrow that, although I should point out that I'm smart enough to live in the part that very rarely quakes!
-
Earthquake Engineering was a firm that consulted on earthquake preparedness. Their scope was world-wide and they would evaluate structural damage in detail. Consequently, they would show up at our generating stations to see how the LADWP met the requirements in our quake-prone areas. They also published a report on their analyses and best practices with their recommendations for mitigating possible damage. I was quite impressed with the restructuring of the government buildings' foundations; especially the NZ Parliament House with its combination of composite rubber and steel plates as the building's supports. They must be working as I haven't heard of any restructuring of the original designs.
-
Japan are the other Shaky Isles and I think we've picked up a few tips from them, but yes, new buildings are fairly well protected. It's the older ones, often historic, that are incredibly difficult to bring up to code.
-
As witness the lengthy and tedious work to restrudcture the foundations of the Parliament House!
One of my tasks was Earthquake Preparedness with the LADWP. I had quite a few slides of various areas of impact, from Mexico City to Japan, Indonesia, and EnZed fuel farms. Fukishima was a man-made disaster with their emergency generators buried in the lower elevations of the power plants and subsequently submerged when the building was flooded. There was also little planning for alternative switching to reroute around the quake area that added to the disastrous consequences of the planners' limited foresight. If alternative routing had been available, they might have been able to save the reactors. You can only be amazed at seeing six-story apartment blocks laid over on their sides due to liquifaction. The residents had to use ladders to reach the side doors and windows that were now overhead. Ce' la Vie!
Comment from Mrs. KT
Ah, Steve,
So much truth in your exceptionally well-crafted free verse poetic offering.
I often gaze toward the heavens at night and think of all the everyday happenings that occurred on a particular day and will occur in days to come despite the idiocy and sadness of the world around me...
Thank you for sharing!
Best Wishes!
diane
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
|
Ah, Steve,
So much truth in your exceptionally well-crafted free verse poetic offering.
I often gaze toward the heavens at night and think of all the everyday happenings that occurred on a particular day and will occur in days to come despite the idiocy and sadness of the world around me...
Thank you for sharing!
Best Wishes!
diane
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
-
Thanks, Diane. It's easy to get caught up in all the negative stuff that is happening in the world and lose sight of what's really important!
Steve
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
Your contest entry read well, Steve. I enjoyed reading
it. I liked the image, the color scheme, and the theme.
You gave readers much to think about from several
POVs. I liked how you started with the global one then
continued down to the personal one of home and love.
Through all of the chaos of the world, country, state,
and city, you showed how simple things continue. It is
those things that help balance life and also sow how life
goes on.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes in the contest, Jan
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
 |
Your contest entry read well, Steve. I enjoyed reading
it. I liked the image, the color scheme, and the theme.
You gave readers much to think about from several
POVs. I liked how you started with the global one then
continued down to the personal one of home and love.
Through all of the chaos of the world, country, state,
and city, you showed how simple things continue. It is
those things that help balance life and also sow how life
goes on.
Thanks for sharing and best wishes in the contest, Jan
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
-
Thanks, Jan. It's easy to get caught up in all the negative stuff that is happening in the world and lose sight of what's really important!
Steve
Comment from harmony13
The author's words are true, concerning, descriptive and creative.
I agree with this author in all that is happening in our world and country
today! In the last three stanzas, I found reasons to be thankful. The artwork is awesome and goes well with the theme and words of this poem. Great Poem! Hi Steve, hope you had a great day!....Maria
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
|
The author's words are true, concerning, descriptive and creative.
I agree with this author in all that is happening in our world and country
today! In the last three stanzas, I found reasons to be thankful. The artwork is awesome and goes well with the theme and words of this poem. Great Poem! Hi Steve, hope you had a great day!....Maria
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
-
Thank you.
It's easy to get caught up in all the negative stuff that is happening in the world and lose sight of what's really important!
Steve
Comment from Paul McFarland
This is a good one, Steve. I was looking for a pawn to king four opening, but you had other ideas. You have touched on a number of important topics. You should do well in the contest.
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
|
This is a good one, Steve. I was looking for a pawn to king four opening, but you had other ideas. You have touched on a number of important topics. You should do well in the contest.
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
-
Thanks, Paul. I use that as an opening, but this needed to signal the endgame!
Steve
Comment from lancellot
This is well made, Steve. When it comes to poetry you know your craft. I can't help but wonder, why the focus is always on American politics. I would and perhaps others like to see what's going on in New Zealand. Almost every political poem is about America and now Ukraine. It's like... is the rest of the world a paradise?
Just a suggestion.
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
|
This is well made, Steve. When it comes to poetry you know your craft. I can't help but wonder, why the focus is always on American politics. I would and perhaps others like to see what's going on in New Zealand. Almost every political poem is about America and now Ukraine. It's like... is the rest of the world a paradise?
Just a suggestion.
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
-
Thanks for the review and the suggestion...
Plenty going on here in our politics - we have an election coming up in October and very probably a change of government. However, no matter what you say, I am pretty sure most FanStorians wouldn't really be that interested.
Do you want to know why? We are not a paradise (although many think we are close!) but what goes on here is mostly reasonably sane and thus uninteresting or at least undramatic. What has happened in your country over the last seven years and continues to happen today is pure theatre, alternating between farce and tragedy. Today with De Santis and Musk was farce. Let's hope we don't get the very real tragedy tomorrow. I still think the ending of the Trump chapter will be tragedy on a Shakespearean scale and sadly his legacy will mean I have material for poems for many years to come.
Have a great day. Almost time to lay in supplies for the indictment season.
Steve
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
In a world of madness, nature moves along as normal without so much as a blink. And our loved ones - from our pets to our better half - only want to welcome us and love us.
An outstanding poem befitting the times that we live in. I wish you good luck in the contest.
Pam
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
|
In a world of madness, nature moves along as normal without so much as a blink. And our loved ones - from our pets to our better half - only want to welcome us and love us.
An outstanding poem befitting the times that we live in. I wish you good luck in the contest.
Pam
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 25-May-2023
-
Many thanks, Pam.
It's easy to get caught up in all the negative stuff that is happening in the world and lose sight of what's really important!
Steve
Comment from Shirley McLain
A very true poem with a lovely ending. You did a good job, and I enjoyed reading it. I wish you luck in the Free Verse contest. Wishing you the best. Shirley
reply by the author on 24-May-2023
|
A very true poem with a lovely ending. You did a good job, and I enjoyed reading it. I wish you luck in the Free Verse contest. Wishing you the best. Shirley
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 24-May-2023
-
Thanks, Shirley - glad you enjoyed.
Steve
Comment from Mintybee
This was a beautiful poem about finding concrete things to hold onto when the world seems to spin out of control. The focus of the poem starts nationally, then moves globally, as the worry widens to encompass things well beyond our control. Then it narrows again to a moment with the moon, a dog, an embrace. The images and word choices are strong and vivid. The narrowing focus and concrete ideas at the end were a welcome contrast to the first half of the poem. I could feel my body tense up and then relax as this poem progressed.
Mintybee
reply by the author on 24-May-2023
|
This was a beautiful poem about finding concrete things to hold onto when the world seems to spin out of control. The focus of the poem starts nationally, then moves globally, as the worry widens to encompass things well beyond our control. Then it narrows again to a moment with the moon, a dog, an embrace. The images and word choices are strong and vivid. The narrowing focus and concrete ideas at the end were a welcome contrast to the first half of the poem. I could feel my body tense up and then relax as this poem progressed.
Mintybee
Comment Written 24-May-2023
reply by the author on 24-May-2023
-
Many thanks for the excellent review and the extra star. And yes, you have nailed the purpose of the poem.
Steve
